1981 staff
| Coach | Role | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Head coach1 | ||
| Joe Paterno | Head Coach | 1970 |
| Coordinators1 | ||
| Jerry Sandusky | Defensive Coordinator · Linebackers | 1977 |
| Position coaches12 | ||
| Fran Ganter | Running Backs · Kickers | 1978 |
| Tom Bradley | Wide Receivers | 1981 |
| Bob Phillips | Assistant Coach | 1970 |
| Booker Brooks | Assistant Coach | 1972 |
| Dick Anderson | Assistant Coach | 1973 |
| Fran Ganter | Assistant Coach | 1974 |
| Jerry Sandusky | Assistant Coach | 1970 |
| Jim Williams | Assistant Coach | 1978 |
| John Bove | Assistant Coach | 1979 |
| John Rosenberg | Assistant Coach | 1974 |
| Peter Giunta | Assistant Coach | 1981 |
| Tom Bradley | Assistant Coach | 1980 |
| Performance1 | ||
| Chet Fuhrman | Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach | 1979 |
A stint appears in a season when it overlaps it, so a coach hired in 1981 and a coach in their ninth year both show here, each with the full range of their stint.